In the living room where sweet colors cover everything, Symphonica sat at the dressing table, adjusting her wavy brown hair, removing the frivolous makeup from her elegant face.

  “What are you drawing, Sylvie?”

  Symphonica looked through the mirror, in the corner of the room, Sylvie was quietly drawing.

  “Guess, who is the most beautiful picture right now?” Symphonica smiled slightly.

  “It's an honor, I like the way you flirt, very sweet,” she said in a gentle tone mixed with a bit of teasing and happiness.

  Sylvie didn't respond, just diligently painted, putting each color on the white paper, barely paying attention to Symphonica.

  “What a pity, Eden left so early~” Symphonica pretended to lament to get Sylvie's attention.

  “It's because of the song “Crystal Throne in the Dreamland”.”

  “But she probably just made an excuse, Eden never cared.”

  Sylvie replied, her voice was somewhat indifferent, calm, and gentle like a breeze. Symphonica approached, smiling mischievously, her hand gently poking Sylvie's cheek.

  “Don't tease, Mirella, you're making me draw askew now.”

  “If you flirt with me, then you'll turn cold, I'm very hurt.” Symphonica looked sulky at Sylvie.

  “Aren't a thousand compliments and a hundred love letters enough to make your heart dream?” Sylvie responded with an improvised poem.

  “No.” Symphonica smiled slightly, her laughter was carefree, like singing, the room suddenly became full of life.

  Symphonica hummed an impromptu Aria, leaning on the silent Painter's shoulder. She looked at the painting, the room and time seemed to slow down, harmonizing with a sweet and gentle song.

  Elsewhere, in a place outside the city of Chanson de Lune, Eden stood alone, observing everything from afar, a faint, sarcastic smile playing on her lips.

  “Chanson de Lune, Dreamland, what a pity.”

  “Even in their dreams, this place has no awareness of their Queen’s return.”

  “Duneyrr, come out here!” Eden shouted into the passing breeze, her voice a mixture of annoyance and pride.

  Immediately, a large rift appeared, and from within emerged a mature deer, its face majestic, its blue eyes showing a hint of age.

  Its white antlers were adorned with shimmering crystal ribbons, its entire body a riot of colors, from soft blue to streaks of gold, sparkling like a starry night sky.

  “Respectfully, Goddess Eden, what do you wish to command me for?” Duneyrr stood on tiptoe, bowing respectfully to Eden.

  “Under the highest authority of the Keeper of Eden, I request that you open the way to the crystal throne in the Dream Realm.”

  “I… I will do it immediately.” Duneyrr hesitated, a fleeting fear of Eden crossing his heart. Eden glanced at him, and he immediately obeyed.

  Duneyrr raised his head, his horns shining brilliantly, forming a dazzling ball of light. He fired a beam of light into the remaining spatial rift.

  “Please follow me.” Eden did not reply, only silently and proudly walking away. Together they vanished into thin air.

  Stepping through the gate, they were immediately confronted by the crystal throne, surrounded by glittering crystals of all colors, majestic, magnificent, and overwhelming to anyone who looked upon it.

  “That year, this castle was created by Selena, just to wait for someone unknown. Sigh, now I see…”

  “…And I don’t like that answer.” Eden showed clear displeasure, a hint of weariness in her expression.

  “Rewind.” Eden raised her hand to the air, and with a flick, space and time reversed at her will.

  Eden stopped her hand, and time instantly froze. Before them appeared the figure of a tall man, dressed in a white robe that covered his entire body, the robe interwoven with luxurious Golden Baroque stripes, his hand caressing a crystal throne.

  “This… this, Your Majesty… Goddess Eden, please forgive me.” Duneyrr was surprised by the scene and quickly bowed his head in apology to Eden.

  “You are punished to remain here for another hundred thousand years, forbidden from returning to the Garden.” Eden said, stepping closer to the throne, completely ignoring Duneyrr.

  “Thank you, esteemed Goddess Eden. But may I presume to ask a question?” Duneyrr bowed slightly in gratitude to Eden, then looked up at the crystal throne, remaining silent.

  Eden smiled with amusement, her hand playfully touching the thin lips of the one caressing the throne. After a moment, she replied:

  “Symphonica told me…in her play last night.”

  “So that’s it. Goddess Symphonica seems to have had a hard time.” Duneyrr chuckled softly, enough to ease the tension.

  “And you here, there is only one…and you are the one…who will cause much trouble in the future.”

  Eden calmly removed the hood from the person, revealing a familiar face and appearance that surprised Duneyrr, leaving him disbelieving.

  “This… this is… this person…”

  “Yes, a lawbreaker and troublemaker too.” Eden chuckled, a chuckle of amusement.

  Elsewhere, under the crimson, mournful sky of the Dystopia Realms, the occasional sounds of skeletal dragons soaring and knights sparring could be heard.

  Inside the pagan church, a few figures in red hoods lingered in the room; on the altar, the clock continued to tick counterclockwise.

  “Your Majesty, we have a suspicious individual who requests an audience with you.” The black-armored soldier bowed respectfully.

  “Let him in.” The king commanded.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The knight departed, and after a while, a group of knights brought the person inside. The king extended his rough hand, ordering that the person remain in the room. The knights bowed respectfully and left.

  “First, I want to say something. I’m here to be an ally, and for the sake of fairness, I will reveal my identity…”

  With a gentle yet mature and majestic voice, she removed her clothes, revealing long, flowing blue hair and gem-like blue eyes.

  “I am Celeste Sylphid, the reigning Queen of the Dream Realm, the Dream Goddess of the Sylph tribe.”

  “Interesting. So, what makes you think I would cooperate, Queen?” The monarch smiled slightly.

  “We share a common goal. I know how you can marry Selena and my mother.” Immediately, the other Rebels in the room became interested in her.

  Seraphina approached Celeste, a delighted smile spreading across her face. She reached out and gently caressed Celeste’s hair, enjoying the touch and intimacy of her body, despite the fact that she was the Queen.

  “You really betrayed the whole pack, how cruel,” Seraphina scoffed.

  “But to be sure, I demand a wedding with you,” she whispered sweetly into Celeste’s ear.

  “Seraphina, don’t rush, you’ll fall into a trap now,” another voice said, holding an ancient brown book, seemingly half-read.

  Celeste smiled faintly, a smile of amusement mixed with composure, gently tossing her hair back for Seraphina to play with. Amidst the chaos, the love potions, and the schemes, the king remained silently observing.

  “I’m not plotting against you, don’t worry. If you want to believe me, I’ll be the bride,” Celeste said calmly.

  “After everything is ready, I will offer everyone the finest gifts.” Celeste smiled at everyone with a joyful smile, without a trace of ulterior motive.

  The king and the others watched Celeste in silence, time seemingly slow, as she allowed Seraphina to freely enjoy herself and flirt with her. After a while, he finally responded.

  “I see no reason for us to refuse this invitation.”

  “Prepare yourselves, courtiers, we will defile those noble Queens.”

  “Yes, sir,” all the rebellious officials in the room replied in unison.

  At the crystal throne in the Dream Realm, Eden and Duneyrr met Selena, the Most Revered Queen of the Seven Realms. Her entire body was clad in white, her shimmering crystal tail cascading beneath her skirt in the ethereal light of the starry sky.

  “I’m quite surprised, I didn’t think you would personally come here,” Selena said with a cheerful smile to Eden, and Duneyrr bowed respectfully.

  “This throne, its heir, did you choose the wrong one, Selena?” Eden crossed her arms, her expression serious.

  “Not at all, or rather, I didn’t choose, but… I gave it to the one who rightfully belongs to it.” Selena looked at Eden, a friendly smile, almost devoid of any ulterior motive.

  Eden rose from the crystal throne, looking visibly annoyed. Duneyrr took a few steps, his eyes filled with suspicion as he watched Selena leisurely enjoying herself.

  “This will bring both good and bad fortune, it’s hard to say what the price will be… why?” Duneyrr’s voice became slightly serious.

  “In the most recent scenarios we see, everything is… interesting for Dystopia.” Eden and Duneyrr’s expressions hardened after Selena’s nonchalant words.

  Selena pulled at the hem of her white dress, bowing respectfully to the Goddess Eden. Duneyrr was surprised, unconsciously stepping back a few paces, his eyes widening.

  It had been a long time since Selena’s etiquette, her symbol, had been so subservient, yet here, the Queen bowed like a little princess, solemn, authoritative, unexpectedly unpredictable – like the moon high in the sky.

  “And most interestingly, esteemed Goddess Eden.”

  “Queen Selena here will become the greatest Queen. I will complete Your Picture.” Selena declared arrogantly to Eden.

  Eden's expression immediately turned serious, and the atmosphere in the castle changed. A strand of crystal appeared in Selena's right hand, wrapped around her sleeve, her eyes filled with a mixture of joy and excitement.

  "I... I'm old, please excuse me." Duneyrr instinctively took a few steps back, opened the magic gate, and left.

  "Goddess Eden, I beg your permission to entertain you with what the Sylph tribe is most proud of – combat."

  "Please dance with me," Selena said proudly, her eyes brimming with enthusiasm.

  Eden looked at Selena with a mixture of pride and amusement, a slight smile playing on her lips. With a click of her high heels, the crystal castle expanded continuously like a kaleidoscope.

  "Space expansion and elemental manipulation, classic," she sneered.

  Selena flicked her hand, summoning sharp, pointed crystal projectiles that flew towards Eden at high speed.

  Without a word, Eden raised her hand into the air, and all the thorns stopped and flew back towards Selena, instantly transforming into a vine that wrapped around her arm.

  With a gentle flick of her hand, the entire castle stretched infinitely, becoming a cage that swallowed the white bird whole.

  “Try it, Selena.” Eden looked back defiantly, arrogant as if she were superior.

  “So this is just a small fraction of your power, truly admirable, however…” Eden glanced behind her, a thorn whizzing past, grazing her cheek.

  Immediately, numerous crystal thorn vines appeared, the crystal shards enveloping Eden, trapping her in a multi-layered, resplendent cocoon of gemstones. Inside, countless crystal spikes pointed at her.

  “A torture device using a cage of thorns, quite classic,” Eden smirked.

  The space stopped expanding, and instantly, Eden appeared calmly, leaving the crystal thorn cage behind. A magnificent but cold crystal blade rested against her neck, Selena waiting with a cheerful smile.

  “It seems your assassin duties are true. Well done, don’t fail, Selena.” Selena lowered the blade, transforming into a sparkling white crystal.

  “Thank you very much, Goddess Eden.” Selena waved her hand, the crystal cocoon blooming like a flower and vanishing into the castle.

  “I must now go to Dystopia Realms to find Durathror, to bring this deer back to the Garden.” Eden finished speaking, and Selena immediately followed, completely ignoring her discomfort.

  A sudden crack appeared, and Duneyrr stepped inside, his demeanor calm, yet his curiosity evident, his footsteps hurried like a child's.

  “Well, who won? Why are you linking arms now?”

  “I won, Duneyrr,” Selena declared proudly, and Duneyrr beamed with joy.

  “Oh dear, I’m sorry, Eden, please don’t punish me further, I’m too old already.” Eden glanced at him, and Duneyrr immediately straightened up.

  She pulled her hand away from Selena, tossed her golden-brown hair into the air, and strode quickly out the door, leaving everyone behind.

  “Eden’s clearly annoyed. If everyone’s finished, I’m going to rest now.” Duneyrr chuckled softly.

  “Tonight, I’ll have the children come over to play with you, Lord. I have things to do now.” Selena comforted him.

  “That sounds good. You should come over to play sometime, Selena.” After laughter and promises, Duneyrr stepped through the spatial rift and left.

  Two days ago, in the headmaster's office at Saint Lunaris Academy, the soft afternoon sunlight filtered through the glass cabinets overflowing with documents, both new and old exam papers.

  “The kids get it right a lot, but they get it wrong too, mostly in our astronomy class.” Selena chuckled softly, a thin, delicate laugh, savoring the inherent humor of the subject.

  On her desk, stacks of old exam papers and astronomy essays were neatly arranged. She leaned back in her chair, gazing into the distance outside the room. Suddenly, a figure in a long, flowing white coat appeared, pulling up the hem of their robe and bowing respectfully to Selena.

  “How interesting, a long, flowing white coat with elegant clock-shaped patterns…” Selena’s face showed clear delight and interest.

  “Pilgrimage of Times, what an interesting encounter.”

  “I am the Queen of Time, here to do what is necessary, esteemed Goddess,” the voice rang out, familiar yet tinged with maturity.

  A sweet smile played on her lips, graceful and gentle. Her white hood was removed, revealing a face that had matured considerably, a hint of melancholy still lingering in her once-blue eyes.

  “It seems… never do their job well, do they?” Selena teased softly.

  “Actually… the Pilgrimages’ role is to reminisce about the past, but the Laws of Time and Space… they’re quite contradictory,” I chuckled softly, a light and peaceful laugh – like a joke.

  “Time has never needed anyone to control it; if something happens to them… it’s only natural.” I nodded slightly in agreement. We both smiled.

  “This essay… Dorothea Klumpke, what a unique name.”

  I picked up an astronomy essay, calculations of planned events, assumptions about meteor shower trajectories, applicable laws… a fleeting sense of nostalgia washed over me as I remembered my days studying astronomy.

  “It’s rather charming, the student who wrote this essay used a method almost identical to yours… How interesting,” I chuckled softly.

  “And both of your grades are equally low, and now… that student is about to go away for the stars,” the teacher said, a hint of pride mixed with a touch of sadness in her voice.

  “Because you were my grader back in the Nest,” Selena’s face showed a mix of self-satisfied pride and playful teasing.

  I gazed at the essay, the concise yet serious comments – characteristic of the teacher – and the bright red five-point-five neatly placed in a corner. I put the essay back in its place, and Queen Selena immediately became serious.

  “Your Majesty, I need you to allow the current Celeste to reign as Queen of the Dream Realm…when the time comes,” I bowed respectfully.

  “I need this to happen, to open the Parallel Castle.”

  “And you will soon take a major step in dealing with Cassiopeia.” She remained calm, simply observing and listening.

  Seeing no response, I added:

  “I need you to defeat the Goddess Eden once; this is crucial for everyone’s future.”

  “I will hand over Mother and you to the enemy, create a wedding ceremony to… provoke Cassiopeia into disrupting it.” Immediately, Selena burst into laughter, a hearty, resounding laugh.

  “Now this is interesting, all this trickery just to lure Cassie out, well done.” They both laughed together.

  Queen Selena happily enjoyed the moment, the gentle afternoon breeze carrying the delicate scent of warm sunshine, softly rustling a few sheets of paper and a few small leaves. Time seemed to slow down, freezing into a fleeting moment of nostalgia.

  “I think this wedding plan is excellent, entirely to our advantage.”

  “As for the Castle and other matters, that’s up to you two, Celeste.” Selena’s expression turned slightly serious.

  “Hosting is a momentous event; it can’t be done in a few words, especially with her.”

  “I understand, Queen Selena,” I bowed slightly.

  She smiled cheerfully, leaning back in her chair, her gaze directed towards the outside of the room, the wall clock ticking steadily.

  “You’ve pushed yourself, Celeste, always.”

  “Yes, I had to break my own rules.”

  “You’ve truly grown up, in the hardest way.” Selena’s voice held a hint of sadness.

  Selena fell into deep thought, so I stood up, adjusted my clothes, stood on tiptoe, and cheerfully bowed to her. A mix of nostalgia and joy flickered in Selena’s eyes; her face was now more relaxed.

  “Are you leaving? Please send my regards to everyone there,” I replied with a smile.

  “I have something I want to tell you…”

  “This is… quite interesting.” Selena smiled with amusement.

  On the academy grounds, Selena stood alone, clutching the blue key in her hand, the gentle scent of flowers wafting in the cool breeze.

  A girl with long, wavy blonde hair reaching her waist, her eyes sparkling red like rubies, a red silk rose tucked into her ear, walked past, her thin dress swaying gently in the breeze, three books in her bag.

  “ Queen Selena, I’m finished. What about that key?” she asked, her smile as bright and pure as the sun.

  “I’m sorry to trouble you so much, Velvet, this… is an important gift.” She patted Velvet’s head, smiling in response.

  “Borrowing books? Don’t forget to return them.” With a burst of laughter, Velvet left with the books.

  In the distance, behind Velvet’s footsteps and back, a figure appeared. She seemed to recognize the familiar smile, and her heart suddenly ached.

  “They’re all here, descendants of the four of us: Blood Silk Zhusha, my friend Libra, Evil Queen Lucianna, and me… Perfect Selena.”

  “A child just like you, Lilianna, always cheerful and radiant, and very eager to learn.”

  “We have so many descendants so quickly.” Selena put away the key, smiling at the bright sunlight illuminating the garden.